Beeston Talks Blue Jays, Fielder, Rogers

Blue Jays president Paul Beeston joined Jeff Blair on Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 in Toronto and said the Blue Jays can compete with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays in the American League East in 2012. He acknowledged the frustration that some Blue Jays fans have expressed over the team's modest payroll, but said money won't solve everything. "It's not just a matter of spending, it's a matter of spending it wisely," he explained. Here are some more highlights from Blair's conversation with Beeston:

Beeston said the Blue Jays ask certain questions of themselves before spending big on any free agent. "Is that going to put you over the top? Is that going to give you an opportunity to get to the point where you have that contending team, that competitive team? Does that one piece do it for you?" Darren Oliver's $4.5MM contract represents the Blue Jays' most substantial free agent expenditure to date under GM Alex Anthopoulos.

The Blue Jays might regret it if they sign Prince Fielder to a ten-year deal, Beeston said. "We all love Prince Fielder," he said. "Prince Fielder is a terrific ballplayer and there's no question about that." Despite the praise for the 27-year-old free agent, it definitely doesn't sound as though he'll be signing in Toronto.

Rogers communications, which owns the Blue Jays, has never denied a request to increase payroll or spend on player development, Beeston said.

Beeston said the Blue Jays could have managed fan expectations better this offseason.

I’d be more concerned about a legit #1 starter. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see 3 x #2 pitchers emerge from Morrow, Alvarez, Cecil, McGowan, Drabek, Hutchison, to complement Romero. If the Jays are going to trade out the higher-end prospects or spend the cash, then they may as well go all-in for an ace.

There was an excellent article written about Anthopoulos maybe growing attached to his prospects, thus making him overvalue them, which I think may be the case as to what’s going on. A couple parts that were noteworthy:

The Jays had two glaring holes to fill this off-season—a closer and an
established veteran starter for the rotation. They did solve the closer
issue—but not without much consternation. During the winter meetings in
December the Jays announced that they had acquired Sergio Santos from
the White Sox for minor league pitcher Nestor Molina. Subsequent to the
announcement AA admitted serious hesitation in making the move and
explained how difficult it was to give up a prospect like Molina. There
are many who believe Molina projects to be more of a fringe starting
pitcher, and perhaps nothing more than a middle reliever.

The Jays were involved in conversations with the Padres for Latos and
with Oakland for Gonzalez. In both instances they decided that the
asking price was too high. The value they placed on their prospects
superseded the value of an established pitcher under club control for
multiple years.

You can find the article by googling “Blue Jays GM in danger.” It’s written by the Vancouver Sun.

Maybe you should google it and read what the full title is before casting judgement. Can’t speak for the typical quality of content from the Vancouver Sun, but this piece was very articulate and thought out.

Your post is a non-sequitur, apparently implying incorrectly that my post was in some way directed at an inferior view of Vancouver. Of course you’re wildly off base, since I’m from the west coast and love it there – my post was in criticism of the shoddy tabloid journalism of the Sun media chain.

Your post is a non-sequitur, apparently implying incorrectly that my post was in some way directed at an inferior view of Vancouver. Of course you’re wildly off base, since I’m from the west coast and love it there – my post was in criticism of the shoddy tabloid journalism of the Sun media chain.

Nestor Molina has a similar pedigree to Henderson Alvarez. A short stop turned into a pitcher after signing a Pro contract. When AA first took over as Jays GM, he identified Alvarez as their top prospect while Baseball America listed him 5th (Zach Stewart as 1st). Nestor Molina is probably getting discounted in a similar manner.

the key is that every entity values every prospect differently. i dont see how one writer can make a call on whether a club is valuing their prospects correctly.

he might be making a fair point, but evidence is very thin for what he’s trying to argue. i dont think AA has yet overvalued someone that the rest of the industry panned. sure some think molina was fringy, but there was a sect of scouts that really liked him too (which the writer neglects to mention).

the sad part is many people will read this article and conclude that the author is correct, when in reality he only succeeded in raising the question but doesnt come close to proving it.

Well might be true, we do need a good DH. But who knows maybe Lawrie can step in and be that guy?

Everyone wants fielder but is he really worth it? or should Jays trade for Votto or someone who can probably be worth a 10 year contract. How long you think Fielder will be healthy with his frame? I personally would love to see Fielder in a jays uniform but not for 10 years, thats for sure.

We cant expect the whitesox or angel to pick up our bad contracts all the time!

This was an embarrassing interview for Beeston. Asked why the team was not going to go after Fielder: Beeston responded that a move like that was not going to put the team over the top. Then later in the interview, asked if this team was going to compete for that last playoff spot: Beeston contended that this team will compete for that last playoff spot. The two don’t go together.

Jays management completely misread the Fielder market. At the beginning of the offseason when it looked like Fielder was going to get 8-10 years Beeston publicly said the team was not going to go that long and that was enough for the fanbase. The insinuation was that if his years came down (as it now appears to have) the Jays would be in the conversation. Today Beeston basically said that there was no way the Jays will be in on Fielder. It’s been a bad offseason for the Beeston-AA team. They’ve tried to finesse ways of saying that they were not going after Fielder and they’ve blown up in their faces. The Fielder acquisition makes sense on so many levels for the Jays and they know it, yet are unwilling to pursue it. Either it’s ownership, or they’re chicken.

Absolutely the wrong move by AA and Beeston. I’ve been a die hard Blue Jays fan since I can remember and its not every off season you can sign such a big time player such as Fielder. Yes he is asking for a long term deal, big deal! So we have Adam Lind at first, move him to left field because he had major problems at first base, ie. back issues. For example look at Manny Ramirez! put him in left field and he’ll be able to play majority of the games and still have a big slugger. And most important, managers from other teams would think twice about walking Bautista so Bautista would look at more pitches. Imagine him getting more pitches than walks. easily in the 60HR. Yes they had major issues closing games out, you resolved that by getting rid of Rauch and Francisco. You have Romero, Morrow, Hernandez, Cecil and either Perez or Villenueva for the SP and move McGowan and keep Litsch in the bullpen. You got Oliver, Frasor and Jansen as RP and a closer for Santos. The Jays will regret not signing Fielder. And I loved how we missed out on Darvish, why pay out $52 Mill for negotiation rights and then another $60 to actually sign him, definitely not worth all that money for someone who you dont even know if he will be a superstar. Imagine he’s a bust. At least with Fielder, you kknow he’s accomplished his numbers in the Majors.

10-year deal??? Any team would regret that deal, which is why contract terms like that haven’t been discussed seriously for over a month now. The Fan should stop throwing softball question to Beeston and ask why he won’t commit to Fielder on deal terms that might actually happen – like 6 years/$150.

I think Fielder has two options nationals and the Mariners. Rangers could be possibility but not sure Rangers will pony up any more money. Mariners desperately need a boost even with newly acquired Montero. They can’t afford to not get another bat and if rangers get him …game set match. Now the nationals make sense to add Fielder but does it really make sense to have fielder on a national league team in the latter part of his playing career. I wouldn’t take that financial risk especially when he will want 7-10 years easy over 150 million. What do you guys think?

AA is proving what little he knows about baseball and managing the Jays..You will not get another shot to sign a guy of this calibur for a couple of years..Bautista is not getting any younger..Young talent is great However by the looks of it The Bluejays are still a 4th place team in the Al East!

So tell me how paying that much money and adding a great hitter to the 6th best offensive team last year in the Majors going to improve this team and make them a contender? A full year of Lawrie, a comfortable Lind (he had to adjust to playing defence last year), and bounce back seasons from Rasmus and Johnson will be enough to keep this team as one of the most offensive. The team’s weakness is pitching, and there is an amazing group of pitchers becoming available next season. Theres no reason to overpay and sign something that we already have (if Fielder could steal, thats a different story), be patient and spend money on Hamels or Cain.

I’m a Yankee fan and while I do follow the AL closely, I naturally do not have the same insights that some of you diehard Blue Jay fans have…it seems to me that while AA has not done a heck of a lot during this offseason to improve the club, the Jays should be improved over last season due to the development of players such as Lawrie (a stud!), Rasmus and Encarnacion (finally?) – and all of them will also play an entire season beginning in 2012, so that should help. Maybe Travis Snider will finally turn his minor league stats into ML production. Santos as the closer should be an improvement, as well.

Yep…I read the situation the same way. As a result, I expect Jays to win 85 to 88 games. This will put them within sight of Tampa and Boston. But, not within reach. Adding Fielder is not enough to overtake those teams.

Why the cluck doesnt this guy just come back to the brewers? I’m sure this was not what he was thinking when he decided to go to the market. Stay with the players you have been with since the minors and have fun.

The Jays can say what they want it is obvious that they are not willing to make the moves to become contenders. The fans have been waiting twenty years. This team is going to be building for another twenty years because of their refusal to make the moves. They are always saying we are going to build with young guys because young players don’t make a lot. Bautista will soon want out to go to a team that will do anything to win

To paraphrase Malcolm X, we’ve been hoodwinked, we’ve been hornswaggled. This organization has no intention of doing what it takes to win. We’re still waiting to see what the team does with the Rios / Wells money. It certainly didn’t go to Bautista. If as it keeps being reported, management has never refused a request to increase the payroll or bring in a guy, who’s job is it to go find guys to bring in? The Jays want to do it on the cheap, despite the fact that this is a huge market. They want to run the team like the Leafs, have you come, buy tickets and merchandise, and not do anything with the revenue. It’s been 20 years since we made the playoffs, I am tired of excuses, injuries, low Canadian dollar, don’t want to overpay, we’re not quite ready etc etc etc. If the Jays truly wanted to contend they could. But if Beeston thinks that’s going to happen in ’12 with THIS lineup, he’s lost his marbles. “Beeston said the Jays could have managed fan expectations better this offseason” What does that mean, he should have told us we’re finishing 4th again? Not necessary Paul, most of us already know that.

his current bat doesnt play anywhere, and its not even clear that he’s a better option in LF than snider/thames. factor in his butchery in the field and it is very clear that he shouldnt be moved back there.

so much of what zaun said was completely wrong in that interview. he basically said the scouting and PD staff werent doing their job after a year that saw alvarez and lawrie graduate to the big leagues.

i mean its fine for him to say stuff like that as long as everyone else knows that the rest of the industry completely disagrees.

I don’t get it…You say you admire what Rays do to build there baseball team….and yet criticize AA when he executes Tampa’s playbook. Getting Rauch and Francisco was strictly about getting draft picks at the end of the year. How was that bad? Rays did the same thing with their bullpen two years ago.

Soooooo.. catchers can’t be a superstar offensively? I get what you’re saying, but it’s kinda worded poorly. Still doesn’t change the fact that d’Arnaud has a chance to be a 5 WAR player simply because he can defend.

Because of Safeco (to a point, as notsureifsrs pointed out), Montero may be more of a 2010/2008 Prince Fielder, than a 2009/2011. Have to see both players play a couple years before determining anything though.

Hitting is one thing, hitting in a pitchers park is another. Notsureifsrs mentioned that Montero won’t be completely swallowed up by Safeco because it’s not too bad for going the opposite way, but it still effects him.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I just don’t see it when 81 games will, theoretically, diminish his hitting, as will another 9 games at Coliseum.

Fielder is (overhyped)! You don’t sign a 27 yr old (temporary) superstar who will probably be (a DH in a couple years) to a (expensive-long) deal that wouldn`t happen in any other year, as the “final piece” to put you over the top…how does this not register in (everyone`s) brain??? He is (fatter) than Bautista, Escobar and Lind (combined)…and (far worse in everything) than Votto will (ever)be…..

Fielder is (overhyped)! You don’t sign a 27 yr old (temporary) superstar who will probably be (a DH in a couple years) to a (expensive-long) deal that wouldn`t happen in any other year, as the “final piece” to put you over the top…how does this not register in (everyone`s) brain??? He is (fatter) than Bautista, Escobar and Lind (combined)…and (far worse in everything) than Votto will (ever)be…..

montero will very likely be the better hitter. but as the likely better all round player, d’arnaud might be the one to produce the most value over the course of his career.

and going back to the original discussion, i think lawrie would be a guy who comes close to montero’s offensive potential. and he has him beat on defense again. moot point cause i dont think the jays would ever trade him, but still.

All (I) need is a little (article), a cool (girlie drink) or two…maybe a promising Canadian boy and (I’ll produce) embarrassing futility and irrelevance waft by (writing endless) dung. Toronto (fans can) smell it, (and) it IS dung.

Get back to me when the Blue Jays fail to move the (we look like the Orioles“) needle again this year…

As I have said, this is Anthopoulos’s “(continued progression)” year…his third year of big hat, no (need for) PR when you still (have one of the) most (promising young teams) of (recent years) with (stong prospects) that are often just cleaning up (the minors). (Other GMs) spend too much on crap and Anthopoulos spends (brilliantly with) too little…the result (isn’t) the same for both: an arrogant complacency about their taste in players and coaches that is unchallenged by an ownership group that I’m not sure has ever attended a sports event in which they were not required to make a PR appearance (vs the Jays). In a city where “next year” and “gah, they’re not SUPPOSED to win” and “draft picks are all future superstars” are the mantras of the deluded cult-boys (of Leaf or Agro fans, but) this (forward thinking) Canadian (successful) act works great (for a change).

$15+M per year? Are you implying Fielder might sign a 10-yr $150 million contact? Or even 10-yr $160/$170? I really don’t think Boras is going to advise Fielder to trade down his AAV expectations that much just to lengthen the term of the contract.

I also don’t think 10-years is what he can get elsewhere or he would have signed already. If he’s willing to accept a team option on the years after 6 then he will 100% get that deal, but he wants a player option and that carries huge risk for the signing team.